The Third BrotherMature

As he bought a new pack of cigarettes Thane could still feel that nagging sense of someone watching him, he rolled back his shoulders in habit and his neck twitched convulsively as the paranoia began to seep in. He felt a little clumsy as he tried to light a cigarette - the thought of someone watching him always made him feel as though he should do everything perfectly - before he looked up and scanned his eyes for someone who might look suspicious…..

The cigarette fell from Thane’s lips as his eyes landed on a boy across the street, not yet the age of 18, with dark brown hair that waved down to his shoulders, blue eyes that looked like they belonged to a wild animal and a face that was gaunt and hollow. Thane could do nothing but stare at the boy, abandoning all attempts to light another cigarette in fear that if he looked away the boy would disappear. The boy stared back, not with the intensity that Thane had, but just for the sake of staring as if he were thinking some far away thing.

Then slowly the boy turned and started to walk down the street, it took a second before Thane’s mind started to work again but once it did Thane followed him with the determination of a predator hunting from starvation. He didn’t even care about the cars that nearly crashed into him as Thane walked across the road, hoping to catch up to the boy, to ask him what he was doing here of all places.

By now Thane’s desperation had peaked, bumping into people – but still careful not to touch them with his skin – but really not caring when they started to shout at him. Thane needed to get to the boy; he needed to see if the boy was real and not some vivid work of his imagination.

“Roy!” Thane shouted over the crowded street and immediately the boy stopped and turned around, a huge grin appearing on his hollow face. The smile made him look manic.

“Hello brother.” Roy spoke quickly as Thane stood in front of him; he had a soft voice nothing like Antonio or Thane’s.

Roy, the God of Sleep, the third and missing son of Nyx, was standing in the middle of a busy London street.

“Roy… what are you doing here?” Thane asked, his eyes scanning over his little brothers body, Thane hadn’t seen Roy in 900 years, but in that time all the beauty of youth was sapped clean from Roy, leaving nothing but a shell of who was once a charismatic, intelligent and quick witted boy.

“There is someone here… he said he knew the truth about ambrosia, I’ve come for him.” Roy spoke, his eyes drifted in and out of focus and for brief moments at a time he was distracted by the smallest things, like a bug on the pavement.

“No, you need help Roy. You need to be with… mother,” that word almost pained Thane to say it, “she can help you.” Thane said firmly, grabbing hold of his brothers shoulders to shake Roy’s focus back on him. But even as he did that Roy became as stiff as stone, his blue eyes grew darker almost to a black, while his lips thinned into a disgusting frown.

“No! I will not go back there,” Roy nearly shouted, shrugging Thane’s hands off his shoulders. “What changed Thane, did you finally give in to Nyx’s passes?” Roy asked maliciously and at that Thane took a step back.

It was only a secret to Antonio that Nyx had, and this was only once, tried a pass on Thane who immediately denied her. But the rejection had hurt Nyx, even so much as made her angry enough that she had forced Poseidon to create a tsunami large enough to kill over a thousand people. Ever since then Nyx had always treated Thane as if he were a pebble in her shoe.

“You know that’s not true, but she’s the only one that can help.” Thane replied to Roy calmly, grabbing on to his brothers arm before Roy had the chance to walk away and disappear again. Thane wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Let go of me, I need to find the truth!” Roy shouted, trying to pull away from Thane, but his weak body couldn’t even budge Thane from his spot. However, everyone now was starting to look at them, suspicions rising as to what Thane was doing to an obviously helpless and sickly looking 18 year old.

“No.” Thane said firmly, before dragging Roy into a nearby alleyway and disappearing from the world.

*****

Thane looked at the house in front him, it was beautiful and had a stunning view of Lake Neuchatel, but it was a house that he promised himself he would never return to. He didn’t even step into Switzerland unless it was absolutely necessary, like work, but there was hardly anyone in Switzerland who still clung desperately to life when their time came. People in Switzerland, like the Buddhists of Tibet or the people in Iceland, had a calm sense about death that only a few people from the rest of the world possessed. But unlike the rest of the world, Nyx lived in Switzerland, so Thane tried avoiding it anyway he could. But he couldn’t, not now, not while Roy was still struggling from the grip of his hand.

Taking a deep breath Thane walked up the huge grey stone steps, to the large dark wood doors and pressed the tiny white button near it.

Seconds later a tall, slender woman with stunning midnight hair, large dark purple eyes and a face like one of the beauties from the renaissance appeared before Thane. Her red lips, like petals from a rose, made a tiny smile as her eyes scanned over Thane.

“Thane, to what do I owe the joy?” The woman asked, her voice was deep but dripped like honey.

“Nyx, I’ve brought Roy.” Thane stated as he brought Roy into the light of house.

Story summary

It's hard for anyone to find true love or even work up the courage to ask someone out. But it's even harder when you're the God of Death and even just the slightest touch could mean disaster. This story is about how even Death himself got a date.

Select a previous page...

Note: Keep in mind that the From: field of the email message sent by this form will contain your email address,
and will therefore be available to the recipient. If you're not comfortable with this, please
close this window.